Amusement device



E. KOHLER.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE (SKATING CAR).

APPLICATION FILED AUG-28.1919.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

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ErnesT Kohler E. KOHLER. AMUSEMENT DEVICE (SKATING CAR).

APPLICATION FILED AUG-28.1919.

1,328,166. v Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

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EmesT Ko'h ler. 314mm UNITED STATES PATENT @FFQE.

ERNEST KOHLER, o nENvEn, co'I onAno, AssIG oR TO- THE UNITED MINES AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A Genre-NATION or ARIZONA.

AMUsEIvIENT nnvrcs, (SKATING-GAB.)

Leas-Ace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed August 28, 1919. Serial No. 320,394.

To all whom it concern) Be it knownthat I, ERNEST KOHLER, a

citizen of the United "States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, (Skating-Cars;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relatesto amusement apparatus and more particularly to a type of apparatus in which a suitable number of totally independent passenger carrying cars source of innocent amusement, also is of a simple, substantial, lnexpenslv'e and safe form of construct on. A further obgect of the present invention'is to provide an amusement apparatus comprising a supporting structure having a roadway or surface over which passenger. carrying devices or carriages are free to move universally over the surface and to provide a mobile surface which will serve to drive, impel or shift the carriage orcarriages erratically over its exposed areato the pleasure of the occupants of the carriages and of the onlookers Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus involving a supporting plane divided into a series of areas which are relativelymovable to each other in diverse manners and to provide a carriage of such construction that it will be constrained to describe an indetermined path'over the area or surface due to the complex impulses given by the relatively movable areas of the surface on which the carriage rests and by which it is moved and a further object of the invention is to provide means for manually controlling, to

a certain degree, the motions of the carriage over the surface.

With the above and other objects in view as will be rendered manifest to those versed in the art, the invention consists of the construction, the combination, and in details and arrangements of the parts as more particularly described hereinafter relative to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawingsfln which:

Figure l is a plan view of the improved apparatus partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan View of one of the carriages.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of a carriage; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the brakes.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown the platform or floor of suitable dimensions, the platform being subdivided into a series of independent sections 2, mounted upon suitable respective supports as trucks 3,having wheels 4:, running on track 5, appropriately mounted in the foundations 6. In the, present case the floor or platform sections'2 are shown as comprising longitudinal parallel strips of suitable length and width but obviously the floor might be arranged of concentric strips or annuli which have independent move- I ent of each other. The sections or strips of the platform may be moved in a designed path by suitable mechanism, in the'present case shown as comprising a motor 7, mounted in the pit of the foundation 6, and having suitable reduction gearing'S, for driving a crank shaft 9, cranksof which are arranged at any suitable angle with respect to each other and which obviously may be of any desired length. These cranks are connected by respective links 10, to the relatively shiftable floor sections 2, such connection being indicated atll, in Figs. land 2, and by such mechanism the sections 2, are shifted longitudinally for predetermined strokes and preferably alternative to each other.

Any suitable passenger conveyance can be utilized and suitably formed, and shown in Figs. 3 and 4, as comprising a substantially circular carriage having a floor 15, from the side of which extends upwardly a body 16, provided with suitably disposed seats 17, in the present case shown as diametrically opposite to each-other, access be ing had to the spaces between the seats vided with suitable swivel casters 19, arranged at desired positions with respect to each other so as to support a carriage with desired stability. Preferably the carriage is provided with means manually operable to control the movement of thecarriage both for the purpose of amusement and also for the purpose of controlling the movement of the carriage as it may be shifted from place to place by the movement of the-floor sections. Its manual control is shown as comprising a lever 20, up-standing between the seats 17, and having connection to a U-shaped or crank shaft 21, pivoted at 22, on the floor of the carriage; one of the cranks is provided with a shoe 23, operative through the carriage floor 15, and designed to be pressed into frictional engagement with the surface of the platform to check the motion of the carriage. To control the pressure of the shoe 15, a suitable spring can be introduced betweenthe shoe and the lever as at 24. The lever 20 is automatically returned to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by a spring 25, operating on one of the cranks of the crank shaft 21. Preferably each of the carriages is provided'with two of these manual controlling devices as it is apparent that when the shoes 23 are pressed into frictional engagement with the surface of the platform this serves as a check against the movement of the carriage, and the latter will tend to. swing around that shoe whichis applied and therefore the amusement of the passengers of the carriage can be enhanced by enabling them to attempt to independently control the gymtions of the carriage while it is on the moving sections of the platform. If desired the seats of the carriage can be provided with bars or rails 26 by which to steady themselves while the carriage is being projected around over the platform. For the purpose of preventing injury and accident to the bodies of the carriages each is provided with a suitable bumper here shown as compris ing a spring ring or band 27, disposed at a suitable distance about the carriage structure and being supported on spring bearings 28. As the bumpers will be arranged on the same plane of the different cars, that may be utilized in the apparatus, it will be seen that as the cars collide with each other they would strike at the bumpers first and these, being yieldable, would cause the reverse movement or reaction of the carriages and also tend to enhance the amusement capacity of the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an amusement apparatus, asupporting floor or platform comprising sections having independent movement with respect to each other in a horizontal plane; and a carriage for passengers constructed and ar ranged to be moved by relatively movable sections of the platform while resting on the same.

2. In an amusement apparatus, a supporting floor or platform comprising sections having independent movement with respect to each otherin a horizontal plane; and a carriage for passengers constructed and ar ranged to be moved-by relatively movable sections of the platform while resting On the same; the carriage having means for relatively controlling its movements.

3. In an amusement apparatus, .a platform or floor having a generally plane surface and which is divided into relatively horizontally movable sections independent of each other and movable in respective to and fro motions, and the carriages movable over said platform. V

4:. In an amusement apparatus, a platform having a generally plane surface and independent sections movable longitudinally a1- platform having a generally plane surface and constructed of a plurality of parallel and independently movable sections, and means for shifting said sections to andfro ind ependentlv of each other.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a' platform having a generally plane surface and constructed of a plurality of parallel and independently movable sections, and in motions sections.

9. In an amusement apparatus, a mobile platform or supporting-surface, and a can opposite to each other in alternative riage or passenger carrying car mounted to move to and fro over the mobileplatform responsiveto motion of the platform surface, theear having means connected with the platform manually operable foreontrolling means or partially controlling'movement of the car. V

10. In an amusement apparatus, a mobile platform or supporting surface, and a carriage or passenger carry-ing car mounted to move to and fro over the mobile platform responsive to motion of the platform surface. the car having plural means manually operable for controlling or partially controlling movement of the car,- saidmeans operable by passengers independently for responsive to'motion of the platform surcontrolling or partially controlling its movev face, the car having independent devices 0pment. erable by each passenger, for controlling or 10 11. In an amusement apparatus, a mobile partially controlling its movement. 5 platform or supporting surface, and a car- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ria 'e or assen er carr in car mounted to move to and fro over the mobile platform ERNEST KOHLER. 

